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Sunday, July 24, 2016

My honeybee + I will be clinking glasses to celebrate our fourth year of marriage this week [Thursday to be exact!]. Yippee skippy! We've been together TEN years, chickadees! I feel like I say this every year, but I cannot believe how fast time is flying. Every single day is a new adventure and it makes me grin from ear to ear when I think about how I have been so blessed with my honeybee + all of our little adventures along the way. Last year was a whirlwind + I skipped out on my recap of year three [kinda bummed about that BTW], but you can see my favorite snip-snaps of year two here. Every now + then I like to peek back to read them. It takes me back to a different place + time of our relationship so I am hoping to keep it going in the future.

A couple of weeks ago, Kate from Quince and Mulberry Studios contacted me. She was traveling to Ohio from Australia + wanted to meet! Through a couple of back + forth emails, I could instantly tell that she would become a gal pal, so we set a play date when she came to town. From the moment we met, her energy + love of life was infectious [My furry friend Linus was smitten with her, too!]. She graciously offered to take a few snaps of my small fam-bam in our little love nest. I have been absolutely smitten with them since the moment we received them + couldn't wait to share them with y'all!

We Saw Some Changes:

Does it ever seem as if big life changes all happen at once? It sure feels that way to me. Year four meant big changes in literally every single aspect of of lives. One of those were job changes for both me + my honeybee. Like most instances, he felt more comfortable in his job change. For me, I was a nervous wreck. It was my first job change since I started my job right after grad school + I was doubting if this was the best decision. There were so many days when I would come home from work, stressed to the max, about to throw in the towel but I made it! There are pros + cons to everything but in the end it worked out.

Favorite Memory:

When I think back on years past, one favorite memory vividly pops up in this big 'ol brain of mine but this year it's been tricky. We have done so many fab things this year, it's hard to pick just one thing! One of the things that we really wanted to do this year was travel. So we did. I am really hoping to recap all of my trips because each place was so special, unique, + provided it's own memories + learning experiences for me + my honeybee. In year three, we hopped on a plane to Chicago + Aruba. In year four, we jetted to Colorado, California, Nicaragua, + Tennessee. I cannot help but giggle when I think back on each place. Each time I look back at the snaps we took, I want to go back.

Lessons Learned:

I was fairly absent from the social media scene last year. After my dad passed away, I started to look at my life with new eyes. It was time for me + my honeybee to come back to center + focus on one another, so that is what we did. I learned to live in the present moment + laugh at all of his ridiculous jokes. If we're being honest, I kind of enjoy them + the silly banter that they create between us. We learned how to host a vegan Thanksgiving + woke up to welcome the day before seven almost every weekend. It was all about the little moments in year four for me.I thought it would be swell to ask my honeybee if there was anything he learned. If you talk to him on the reg, you know without a doubt he had some words to spew off of that tongue of his. He responded with, "If you keep loving, it will keep you living. You grow to love your partner more + more whether you notice it in the minute or not. It's hard to see it on the daily, but when you step back, you truly fall deeper into this love. It's a part of you all of the time." Holy swoon! This, gal pals, is why I have heart eyes for days!

Looking Forward To In Year 5:

Let the adventures continue in year five! In just a few short weeks we are hoppin' on a plane to make our way to Italy again! Squeal! My honeybee + I went together for our honeymoon which was a complete + utter dream. This time will be just as fun but with a twist as we are venturing with my sister + her fiancé as well. We will make a similar trek this time around but are going to take a hop, skip, + train ride down to southern Italy to visit my family who still lives there. It's going to be a wild ride, y'all!

Year five of our marriage also means that we both turn the big 3-0. If you know me, you know that I am smitten with surprises! I just couldn't resist to plan a surprise for my honeybees birthday in October. I have a sneaky getaway plan in the works + cannot wait until he finds out where we are zoomin' off to when we arrive at the airport. I must admit, I may or may not feel like Carmen San Diego every time I whip out my laptop to plan this trip. Sneaky sneaky!

Lastly, in year five I am looking forward to possibly starting a family. It would be quite exciting [+ exhausting] to have a little baby Laird romping around our love nest. With ten years of partnership under out belts, we will be grateful for whatever God has in store. Cheers to four years!

Sunday, February 28, 2016

One of the biggest gifts I gave myself last year was the gift of self-reflection and mindfulness. The more that I am able to reflect and observe without immediate reaction to a situation or circumstance, the deeper I learn and grow, allowing more space for new desires and experiences to flood my every being.

Last Friday, I celebrated my birthday and it was one that I was not really looking forward to as it marked the one year anniversary of my dad's burial. I spent most of the day with a knot in my stomach and came home from work in tears just seeking refuge under the fluffy comforter of my bed. I think it is so imperative to allow yourself to feel whatever it is that you are feeling; without judgement or question. As I stared up at the ceiling that afternoon, I started to reflect on my own life and some of the lessons that I have so gratefully learned throughout the past year + was inspired by this image. Life is a continuous practice + no one is perfect but I wanted to share them with you all today.

What stories are you building and spiraling inside of your head that are hindering you from leading your full potential? Be kind to yourself, chickadees.

Monday, February 22, 2016

Hello you lovely people! It's been a hot minute since I've shared my weekly rendition of what has tickled my fancy these days! Take a look at what made me squeal, "Holy Swoon!" while perusing the web this weekend:

[The Big Apple]: This cheeky art print probably tops the cake with one of my favorite art print purchases to date, chickadees! We are in the process of completely repainting our finished basement with some lovely new hues. Along with that is a revamp of my workspace. This print looks fabulous with our new paint color, if I do say so myself! I love the vibrant pink + red together because we all know that's my favorite color combo! I just cannot get enough!

[Drink That H20]:If you are wondering why this little one has taken a jump off the face of the earth, it's not that I have fallen out of love with the blogging world. I sure do miss it + am hoping to try and ween it back into my daily routine. Ever since I finished my teacher training for yoga, I have been rolling out my mat every chance that I get, which really isn't to often these days! I have been teaching the yogas five days a week and between my full time job, my spankin' job at Lululemon, and planning my yoga classes, the blogging world has kind of taken to the side. I don't think that I could make it through the day without my glass water bottle. I have two of these that I love. I truly believe that this water bottle is why I take in my daily dose of the H2O. Unfortunately, I made the mistake of leaving one of my bottles in the car on a night where it hit probably 3 degrees and it broke into pieces. Time to order a replacement bottle!

[Eyelet Top]: This pretty little number is currently in my online shopping cart waiting to press "checkout". The feminine details are perfect and I love that I can just plop a cardigan on for work and hop on out the door! Which color do y'all like the best? I can't decide!

[Gingham Pouch]:It's all in the details! Love this dainty little pouch with a dash of class! I love to stay organized with so many pouches as I am on the go and this one would be the perfection addition for all of my colorful bags! Yes, yes, y'all!

[Gimme All The Chairs]The amount of chairs that my honeybee and I have acquired the past couple of years is a hoot! I don't know why but my heart eyes are always drawn to pretty chairs. I suppose they are the perfect way to add a little dab of sass to a space!

[Let's Stay Home]: A couple of months back I was in the mood to jazz up our space with a few pieces here and there. I immediately snagged this adorable banner and am so glad that I did! The price is on point, the quality is superb, and it makes me grin from ear to ear when I pass through our bedroom quickly in the morning. A little reminder for this gal to take a deep breath during the week and that the weekend is just a few days away!

[Pointy Toes]:I love a good pair of pointy flats and leopard is a neutral for me to wear any time, any day. I love the versatility of these flats. I can prance through the hallways during work with my little ones as my shoes are usually a popular topic of conversation as we make our way down to the therapy room. I also can easily grab these for any of my outside functions whether it's to volunteer, grab a drink, or hit the town. If we are being honest chickadees, I hardly ever drift away from buying my shoes at the good 'ol J.Crew. However, these were a lucky find as I wear a size 5 and they actually fit me. This brand even carries as small as size 4. Small shoe lovers rejoice!

[Striped Weekender]: My honeybee picked out this weekender bag for me last month when we ventured out to Colorado together for the first time. This bag is everything! It was big enough for me to pack my entire wardrobe and more for a four day trip. The fact that it was the perfect size for me to use it as a carry on so that I didn't have to check a bag was even more of a bonus! If you are looking for a new snazzy but functional weekender bag to fit your needs, this pretty pal is just for you!

Enjoy, you lovely people! Now get out there and show Monday whatcha got!

Sunday, January 24, 2016

Hello, chickadees! It's been a hot minute to a say the least! Truth is, the blogging and +Insta world got the best of me. I got into a such a routine that posting felt more like an obligation rather than me scoopin' out what was pulling at the strings of my big ol' heart. Reality hit me and I just had to take a hop and a skip back. It's so easy to get down on ourselves when we compare ourselves to others. We can't forget that a lot goes on behind the scenes of social media when we only choose to share certain things. We can't compare our Chapter One with their Chapter 20. It'll only rob us of our joy. While I think that the world should stop glorifying busy, I also think the world needs to start getting a little honest with themselves.

So often we have this idea of what we think we should be doing or who we think we should be. We have created a set of standards or ideas about ourselves that may not be true anymore. Rather than place judgement, we need to starting giving ourselves permission to be where we are right now. We can change our jobs, our relationships, we can move. But changing all of our external circumstances will do nothing. Unless we meet ourselves where we are now and allow ourselves to change from the inside out, everything is going to always feel the same. Things that may have served us at one point of our lives may no longer serve us right now. It's all about trusting the process. Trust the process but more importantly, trust ourselves.

A lot has changed for me within the past year and I can't wait to catch up with ya'll. You'll still find this sassy gal dishin' out my what makes me swoon but there is a lot more that I want to share with you that has brought me meaning and joy.

I hope that you continue to follow along! What's new with you? Do tell!